Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these..." Matthew 19:14

We at ACFI are very passionate about our Children's ministry. Our vision is to create a place in which children grow closer to God through learning and experiencing His Word.

Here are a few of the children's ministry activities:

ACFI Sunday School is conducted parallel to the Worship service. At present, we have five different Sunday school classes with dedicated teachers.

Pre School (3 - 5 years)

Lower Elementary (Kinder - 2nd grade)

Upper Elementary (3rd grade - 5th grade

Middle School (6th grade - 8th grade)

High School (9th grade - 12th grade

The academic year starts beginning the first week of September and ends with Annual Day Celebrations the week before the Memorial Day weekend, in May.

The curriculum that we are following this year is called Joyful Life Sunday School Program. The children learn about the lives of great Old Testament kings and Prophets David, Solomon, Elijah. To know more about this curriculum please visit www.JoyfulLifeSundaySchool.com

Apart from the learning weekly Memory verses, the children are also encouraged to learn the names of Books in the Bible, Ten Commandments, and Psalm 23 etc. at their own pace.

The Bible truths and Gospel are presented to the child through the age appropriate Bible lessons using various teaching aids like posters, flannel pictures, skits, games and songs. We also have a craft/coloring sheet related to the lesson and a take home sheet for the parents.

The Children are encouraged to bring their own Bible to the Sunday school. We learn and sing the contemporary Children worship songs as well as the good old children songs.

Special Events:

Christmas Carol Service:

Our Carol Service is usually conducted a week or two before the Christmas Eve. Over the years, it has become a tradition for children to dress-up in costumes and present the Nativity Scene in different ways. Some classes may perform a special Christmas skit but all classes participate in singing melodious and heart-warming Carol songs.

Outreach - Old Age Home Visitations:

Children visit Old Age Homes at least thrice every year and sing special Worship songs to the residents. This way children experience the joy of sharing the good news. They bring joy into the heart of the residents and become part of the blessings of the LORD.

Outreach - Care Packets:

Children prepare care packets for the less privileged homeless people. The care packets they make usually contain canned pasta, cup noodles, crackers, a pair of socks, and a candy cane with a note about the message of Christ. Each child takes home the packet they make and distribute them to the less privileged homeless people at their convenience.

Outreach - Cards to our Missionary Friends:

As part of appreciation to the missions, children make cards for the missionary families. The personalized cards

ACFI Family Retreat Talent Time:

During the ACFI Family Retreat, which is usually conducted in April, children participate and exhibit their God given talents during the Talent Time and there will also be a special children's presentation on behalf of the Sunday school.

Annual Children's Sunday and Awards Ceremony:

The combined event is usually conducted the week before the Memorial Day weekend. Starting with prayer, singing special Worship songs, performing a skit, and collecting Offertory everything is conducted by the children of all age groups. Then, a special message oriented for children will be delivered by one of our special speakers. Then, the children and teachers are appreciated with special gifts. Finally, the Pastor will end the service with a word of appreciation and benediction.

The combined event is usually conducted the week before the Memorial Day weekend. Starting with prayer, singing special Worship songs, performing a skit, and collecting Offertory everything is conducted by the children of all age groups. Then, a special message oriented for children will be delivered by one of our special speakers. Then, the children and teachers are appreciated with special gifts. Finally, the Pastor will end the service with a word of appreciation and benediction.

Last and most important, we are happy to remember that the ACFI Children are contributing to the sponsorship of Baby Mahendra Selva Kumari through Compassion International with the Offertory money that the children bring and collect during their classes.

During summer, we have Sunday school classes only for children below 12 years old. Currently, we are doing the lessons from http://www.ChildrensBulletions.com that has lessons and exercises oriented for children ages 3 to 6 years old and 7 to 12 years old. And older children are encouraged to be part of the main Worship service during this time of season.

Come and join us at 5 PM each Sunday with your precious Children. We would love to have your children in our Sunday school.

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6